From Children First Canada–As kids head back to school, a new report on the state of the nation’s children sounds the alarm on the top 10 threats to childhood. For the first time ever, the annual Raising Canada report incorporates primary research with youth and those that care for them. Among the key findings: half of Canadian youth experienced depression during the pandemic, and incidences of child violence, poverty and racism have increased significantly over the previous year. Given the ongoing rise of inflation, it’s also not surprising that food insecurity among young people increased by 29%.
The sixth annual Raising Canada report is published by Children First Canada, based on research conducted by the University of Calgary, the University of Toronto and McGill University. Researchers compiled existing data and conducted interviews with youth, parents and other subject matter experts.
“This last year kids have experienced unprecedented challenges due to the ‘tripledemic’ of RSV, Influenza and COVID-19, and they continue to bear the brunt of the pandemic with significant impacts to their mental and physical health,” says Sara Austin, founder and CEO of Children First Canada. “There is a persistent myth that Canada is one of the best places in the world to raise kids, but the facts show otherwise.”
Canada ranks 81 st among 193 countries on the Global Kids Rights Index, down significantly from 48 th in 2022. Additionally, a recent review by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child in 2022 gave Canada a scathing report for its failure to protect the rights of children or to demonstrate tangible progress on recommendations issued in preview reviews.
See the rest of the story and the report.